Evolution of Relationships
by Cowgirl Of Egypt
Summary: Octavius is sulking and something is wrong with our favourite cowboy. Spoilers for Night at the Museum 2 Post Night at the Museum 2 Just a light sprinkle of slash.
1. Alleyway

**A/N: I SPELL JEDD DIFFERENTLY – I KNOW – BUT THAT'S BECAUSE I THINK IT LOOKS AND FEELS BETTER. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THEN DON'T READ IT**

**DISCLAIMER: SADLY I DON'T OWN NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM ONE OR TWO :-(**

Jedediah was completely at ease as he strolled around his miniature cowboy town. It was great to be home, back at the Museum of Natural History. Now that Larry was the night guard once again everything was perfect. Well, as perfect as life as a museum waxwork could be. All of his men were happily working on the steam train that was the pride of the town and Jedd could only think of one thing that wasn't perfect. Octavius. Every since they had arrived back after the fiasco at Smithsonian the roman soldier had done nothing but sulk. It was becoming extremely tiresome. Although they were always exchanging sarcastic and cutting remarks they had always, since Larry arrived anyway, been good friends. Now Octavius just didn't seem to want to know.

Jedd was pulled out of his thoughts suddenly when someone grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him into the one alleyway of his town. The stranger slammed him into the wall and Jed gasped and complained loudly.

"What do you think you're -"

"Shut up," the stranger growled. Jedd frowned, realising it wasn't a stranger at all. It was Octavius.

"Octavius? What the hell's up with you man? You can't just -"

"I said shut up!" Octavius interrupted "I want to talk. Not you." Jedd did as he was told for once. He didn't want to admit it but Octavius' odd behaviour was starting to scare him. First the sulking and now this? Jedd was going to have to mention it to Larry at this rate. There was silence for a moment before Octavius spoke again.

"It's not fair," he hissed through gritted teeth. Jedd looked at him, confused.

"What's not fair?" he asked the roman.

"You. You and you're…I don't know. Just you," Octavius replied. Jedd grimaced.

"What have I done now?"

"It's not something that you've done Jedediah. It's something you've said," Octavius told him. He placed his hands either side of Jedd's head, his arms effectively trapping the cowboy against the wall. Jedd gulped nervously.

"What did I say?" It was Octavius' turn to grimace; he didn't want to tell him. "Come on, how am I supposed to know how to sort out whatever upset you if I don't know what it is?"

"Fine," Octavius snapped "It's what you said when you were in that hourglass, just before I saved you. You-you said about our relationship evolving from enemies to _friends_…"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Jedd asked in confusion. Octavius wasn't making any sense.

"The friend's part," Octavius said quietly.

"Oh…" Jedd breathed, understanding what the roman meant. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable backed up against the wall "Well that's…unexpected." He couldn't think of any other word for it at the present time.

"Is that all you have to say?" Octavius asked.

"Well, I mean…Erm, well I, Erm…" Jedd floundered. Octavius rolled his eyes and decided to find out what he thought the easy way and kissed the stammering cowboy full on the lips. Jedd was hesitant but responded after a few moments. Octavius was ecstatic at his reaction and continued the kiss for a few more seconds before pulling away, not wanting to push Jed too far.

"Wow…" Jedd murmured once they broke apart "That was interesting." Octavius smirked and slipped his hands down to Jedd's waist. Jedd winced slightly and Octavius frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jedd assured him quickly "Nothing's wrong at all. I just…hurt myself climbing last night."

"Your pause before your explanation tells me otherwise," Octavius replied.

"No really I'm -" Jedd fainted into Octavius' arms before he finished his sentence.


	2. Tablet

Jedd groaned as he woke up, his side was throbbing in pain and his head felt heavy. Whatever he was laying on was way too soft. Jedd's eyes flew open at the thought, nothing in his small village was soft that must mean... Jedd groaned again as his suspicions were confirmed by the fancy ceiling. Blasted Romans. He sat up, only to be pushed back down by a firm hand. "Hey!" he complained "let me get up!" Octavius walked into his line of vision looking grim.

"Not until you explain why you lied to me. Judging by the fact that you've been unconscious for the past 30 minutes I would say that you are not fine." Jedd sat up, ignoring Octavius' protests to lie back down; he knew he would be alright.

"If you hadn't been sulking for the last 5 days then I would have told you. Now I don't really want to." There was a knock on the door and a roman soldier stepped into the room smartly.

"Mr Daley has asked your permission to take the roof off so he can speak to you my liege," the soldier told Octavius.

"Tell him that he can take the roof off if he wishes," Octavius replied waving the soldier away. The soldier left quickly, closing the door behind him.

"You told Gigantor?" Jedd asked, pulling a face "It's not like it's a big deal." Octavius ignored him and looked up at the ceiling. Suddenly it was pulled upwards and Larry's face was looming above them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Jedd rolled his eyes and made to stand up but quickly sat back down at the glare he received from Octavius.

"Jedediah is ill," Octavius told Larry.

"What? You're waxworks, you can't get ill!" Larry exclaimed

"Exactly!" Jedd agreed "We can't get ill."

"People who are not ill do not faint for no reason," Octavius argued. Larry raised his eyebrows.

"Jedd fainted?" he asked.

"Yes, he did. Although he insists he's fine."

"I _am_ fine!" Jedd whined "Why can't you get over the fact I fainted? It's only happened a few times!" Octavius rounded on him.

"It's happened before! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Like I said before, you were sulking," Jedd replied.

"You still could have told me Jedd," Larry scolded "I'm always around at night when you want to talk." A sharp pain shot through Jedd's stomach and he automatically clutched his side, gritting his teeth.

"Jedediah? Jedd? What's wrong?" Larry asked.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Jedd panted. Octavius watched him with a worried expression.

"What's wrong with your side?" Octavius questioned him.

"Nothing!" Jedd snapped back. Neither Octavius nor Larry was convinced.

"That's why you're clutching your side as if you've been shot?" Larry quizzed. Jedd hissed then sighed as the pain stopped as suddenly as it started.

"Everything is fine," he insisted. Larry shook his head.

"I was going to do this the polite way if you admitted something was wrong but it looks like that's just not happening. Octavius, you know what to do." Jedd glared at Larry as Octavius grabbed his wrists before he could say anything and pulled Jedd's shirt up just enough to show the cause of his pain. A golden tablet about the size of Larry's thumb nail was somehow stuck onto Jedd's skin, just above his waist. It was covered in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics which were glowing an eerie red in the light. Jedd gulped.

"I didn't want to be a problem," he told them softly. Octavius let go of him and stepped back in horror. Larry's voice was layered with anger and hatred when he next spoke.

"Who did that to you?" he asked.

"Kahmunrah took me out of that hourglass, stuck it on me just after you left to decipher the code then chucked me back into that sand pit again," Jedd admitted. Octavius bit his lip.

"Why didn't you just come over to see me and told me?" he complained.

"You were obviously busy with other things," Jedd replied. Octavius hung his head, ashamed. Larry snapped into action.

"I need to write out those hieroglyphics so Akhmenrah can translate them and we can sort this mess out. Did Kahmunrah tell you anything about it?" Jedd grimaced and lifted his shirt up so Larry could see the tablet before answering. Larry pulled out a notebook and pen from his pocket and began to copy the hieroglyphics out.

"He didn't tell me much. Except…if the hourglass didn't kill me then this would." Larry began writing faster and Octavius stared at Jedd with an expression of horror and loss. His earlier words replayed in his mind once more. _It's not fair._


	3. I won't let you

_20 minutes later…_

Octavius and Jedd were sat in one of Octavius' many sitting rooms on a comfortable sofa in silence. They sat with a huge space between them and Octavius felt as though their kiss in the alleyway had been years ago, not an hour. Jedd was staring at the wall opposite them.

"Penny for your thoughts," Octavius said, breaking the silence. Jedd smiled.

"Cheap skate." Octavius sighed.

"Drink in the pub in your town for your thoughts?" Jedd nodded but his smile faded away. Octavius knew they were both thinking the same thing. _If Jedd would live long enough for that._

"I'm scared Octavius," he admitted quietly "I don't want to die." Octavius bit his lip.

"Larry will find a way to save you." Jedd shook his head.

"Not this time," he told the roman sadly. Octavius turned to look Jedd straight in his crystal blue eye and his heart broke. The sharp-witted cowboy had his arms wrapped around his stomach tightly, as if he was holding himself together. The hopeless look in his eyes felt like a stab through the heart with a rusty knife.

"I won't let you die!" Octavius said fiercely "There has to be a way to save you!"

"Yeah? So how are you going to save me?" Jedd asked softly "what if someone stops Larry from getting to Akhmenrah, huh? You can't promise me anything Octavius and you know it!"

"I can promise you my heart!" Jedd sighed.

"I'm going to die Octavius, don't make me feel worse."

"I wish we could swap places," Octavius continued despite Jedd's protest.

"I don't," Jedd interrupted "I'd rather it was me than you. Anyway, I've just noticed you've lost the armour. You're wearing jeans!"

"Yeah…" Octavius replied, startled by the abrupt change in subject "I thought it was best because, well, when you fainted…you cut your cheek on my shoulder."

"Oh…you're a bit obsessed about my safety, aren't you?" Octavius blushed.

"You never seem to care about yourself; I think it's only fitting that-"

"Because you have a major crush on me that you keep me safe," Jedd finished for him cheekily. "That's kind of sweet."

"Shut up," Octavius muttered gruffly. Jedd grinned and shuffled closer to him across the sofa. Octavius rolled his eyes. _Here comes the teasing, _he thought to himself, _I should have known. _Instead of teasing him, however, Jedd merely rested his head on Octavius' shoulder and sighed. Octavius could hardly believe his luck.

"You're funny sometimes Octavius," Jedd said quietly "_Really _funny." Octavius smiled and put his arms around the cowboy gently.

"I know."


	4. Wax

**A/N: THIS CHAPTER IS SHORTER THAN I HAD PLANNED BUT NEVERMIND. ONLY THE EPOLOGUE TO GO.**

_30 minutes later…_

Octavius could hardly believe what had just happened. He had really thought that Jedd was going to make it, that the cowboy would soon be up and about again, acting as if the whole fiasco with the tablet attached to him had never happened. He had been wrong. Jedd hadn't made it. The tablet had sucked the life out of him as he had rested against Octavius, waiting for Larry to return with Akhmenrah's translation. Jedediah was now nothing more than wax and never would be anything more ever again. As Octavius stared at the still wax figure of the man he loved he wept bitter tears that stung his face. Jedd was gone. He would never move again. Octavius was so caught up in his sorrow he didn't notice the sitting room roof disappear from above him. Nor did he notice as Larry peered into the room, searching for them.

"Oh my God," Larry whispered upon seeing Jedd's wax body "Jedd?" Octavius looked up at him, still crying.

"He's dead. There was nothing I could do. The tablet just disappeared into his stomach and he stopped moving and- and he turned back into wax!" Larry swallowed.

"Dead? I didn't think that you could. Oh my God!" He picked the wax figure that was Jedd up carefully. "I'm so sorry Jedd. So sorry… "


	5. I love you

The inhabitants of the museum solemnly crowded into the room of miniature displays to say their final farewells to the brave little cowboy who had lost his life because of the battle that they had faced again the evil pharaoh Kahmunrah. The nearest to the front were Larry, Nick, Octavius and Pharaoh Akhmenrah with Teddy and Sacagawea close behind them. Larry was the first to speak.

"You were a brave cowboy Jedd. The best of the best. I'm going to miss you, buddy."

"Me too Jedd," Nick added "You were always on of my favourite people to talk to."

"Godspeed," Teddy tacked on, almost lost for words at the suddenness of Jedd's death.

"I will never forget you Jedediah, you never failed to make me laugh," Sacagawea said tearfully burying her face in Teddy's shoulder. Octavius choked back his own tears.

"Farewell Jedediah…I'll miss you until my own end is nigh. I never did tell you how much I loved you and I guess I never will get to tell you…Goodbye." With that he turned away from the small pyre that Jedd's body was placed above. Larry slowly got out a lighter to set light to the small collection of sticks when the wax Jedd glowed red and came alive once more. The lighter flickered and died as Larry dropped it to the floor and Jedd laughed.

"You can't get rid of me that easy." Octavius whipped around at the sound of his voice and gasped.

"Jedediah? But you were dead!" Jedd grinned and shrugged.

"Some dog-headed dude sent me back; apparently he owed Larry a favour for sending him Kahmunrah." Akhmenrah gasped.

"Anubis! You were sent back by Anubis!" Jedd went to speak but he was cut off by Octavius' mouth silencing his own with a kiss. When Octavius pulled away everyone stared at him in shock, Jedd's head was spinning.

"I love you," Octavius told the cowboy. Jedd smiled, still dizzy.

"Love you too."


End file.
